1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to root-crop harvesters (e.g., potato harvesters). More particularly, the present invention relates to root-crop harvesters that can temporarily store an amount of crops while harvesting.
2. Related Technology
Modern potato harvesters are very efficient at digging large amounts of potatoes from a field, separating the potatoes from the dirt and vines, and then loading the potatoes on a truck. In many respects the technology for harvesting potatoes has kept pace with the high yield per acre that modern farming techniques now provide.
Most potato harvesters operate by cutting through the ground with a digger blade and forcing the dirt and potatoes over a series of chains that transport the potatoes while removing the dirt and vines. The potatoes are elevated by the chains and other conveyers so that they can reach a sufficient height to be dumped into a truck and hauled away.
Root crops such as potatoes are relatively heavy and high volume compared to other types of crops (e.g., grains). Consequently, it is generally not feasible to store a significant percentage of the crop as it is being harvested. Instead, trucks follow along side the harvester so that the potatoes or other tubers can be simultaneously dug and loaded on the truck.
While tandem operation of the harvester and trucks works well most of the time, there are times when it is desirable to temporarily continue digging potatoes without a truck. For instance, when one truck is full, there is a brief period of time where the potato harvester needs to stop to switch trucks. Even if the trucks can be switched in a few seconds, halting the potato harvester is very inconvenient because the potato harvester is often loaded with thousands of pounds of potatoes, has many moving parts, and has a blade that is buried in the ground. Consequently, starting and stopping the harvester while digging is hard on equipment and inconvenient for the operators.
In addition to exchanging trucks, there are other times where it is desirable to continue operating the harvester without a truck alongside. For example, a harvester may need to pass through a muddy area where a truck may get stuck. The ability to dig without unloading potatoes from the harvester allows the potatoes to be dug while the truck drives around the problem area. The problem with digging the crop without simultaneous loading is that it requires some kind of storage for the crop being dug.
Attempts have been made to provide potato harvesters that can temporarily store potatoes on the harvester. In most cases, these harvesters have a storage bin. The storage bin is placed just before the boom that transports potatoes to the truck. To operate the harvester without a truck along side, the conveyor on the boom is halted while the rest of the digger continues operation. Potatoes pile up in the storage bin until a truck can return and the boom conveyer is again operated.
The problem with using storage bins is that most storage bins must be very large to provide the desired delay in unloading. When these bins are full, they can cause uneven weight distributions, make the harvester top heavy, and/or affect the harvester's digging performance. In addition, the large bins often block the operator's view of many parts of the harvester thereby making it more difficult to monitor the harvester.